What connects seemingly mundane items like toilets and sleep to futuristic, hydrogen-powered and autonomous vehicles, or even mythical Cyclops? The answer lies in PACTS September working party meetings.
The absence of accessible toilets for train drivers, especially those operating freight trains, raises safety concerns for both the drivers and others utilising the railway network. The RSSB and GWRR presented their findings at our Rail Safety Working Party. Sleepiness and fatigue have a substantial impact on a driver’s performance. Loughborough University and Nottingham Trent University detailed their ongoing projects during our Road User Behaviour Working Party.
Electra recently secured funding to deploy hydrogen-powered heavy goods vehicles in the North East of England. They elucidated the technology employed and the requisite safety considerations at our Vehicle Design Working Party. Professor Oliver Carsten from Leeds University conducted research for the DfT on Level 2 driving systems’ safety, and he also addressed PACTS Vehicle Design Working Party in preparation for his presentation at the inaugural European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) Herman De Croo Road Safety Lecture.
Originating in Manchester and now spreading across the UK are CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junctions. These incorporate segregated routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. Transport for Greater Manchester shared the specifics of these and other infrastructure components within the Bee Network at the PACTS Road Environment Working Party.
At each working party meeting, the Chairs, Carolyn Griffiths, Professor David Crundall, Kate Fuller and Richard Cuerden, go beyond the task of simply preparing agendas to engage participants. PACTS is fully committed to improving transport safety, and, as a result, they focus on identifying issues, formulating solutions, monitoring the execution of these solutions, and evaluating their effectiveness.
If you’re keen to be part of this movement for change, regardless of your sector, why not consider joining PACTS?